How to Make Internet Phone Calls?

As technology advances, learning how to make Internet phone calls becomes increasingly important. In the future, this could very well become the most common method of person-to-person communication.

These calls are normally made between two people with computers, although the technology now exists to enable someone on a PC to call someone over their standard telephone. At the moment, it’s also cheaper than a regular phone call.

Before you can take advantage of this service, just make sure that you meet all the necessary hardware and software requirements. You don’t want to invest money only to find out that it’s impossible for you to make Internet phone calls.

Required Equipment for Internet Phone Calls

Before you start making Internet phone calls, you’ll need to make sure that you have the following equipment:

Broadband Internet Connection – Much faster than a dial-up connection, a broadband Internet connection is required in order to properly place Internet phone calls. If you live in an area where broadband isn’t readily available, you’ll be unable to take advantage of this service.

Keep in mind, however, that broadband is available almost everywhere on the planet. Even if a cable Internet connection isn’t offered in your area, you’ll still be able to purchase a satellite connection; just be prepared to pay more money for the service.

Sound Card – A sound card allows the input and output of audio signals on your computer. While almost all computers have sound capabilities built in, you’ll want to make sure that your computer has a sound card with at least 16 bits. Otherwise, the audio from your internet phone call may be unclear.

A full-duplex sound card is best. You’ll also want to make sure that your sound card can record audio.

Speakers – Even if you know how to make Internet phone calls, it won’t do you any good if you don’t have speakers to broadcast the sound. If you plan on making online calls all the time, it might be a good idea to invest in quality speakers which provide crisp, clear sound.

Microphone – Besides speakers, you’ll also need to invest in a microphone in order to send audio to your friend. The better quality the microphone, the better quality the resulting audio will be (especially if your friend invested in a superior speaker system).

Internet Telephone Software

Once you have all the necessary equipment, you’ll need to purchase Internet telephone software. This software can be obtained on a disc, or you can download it from the Internet. This is a must when it comes to how to make Internet phone calls.

Make sure you know what kind of software is being used by the people you plan on calling. Not all Internet telephony software is compatible with one another.

Downloading the software should be simple and take only a few minutes. Just follow the directions on the computer screen to install the software.

Making an Internet Phone Call

If you’re calling from computer to computer, you’ll need to make sure that your friend is near his computer. You can either arrange a time to call in advance, or you can check services like Gmail (assuming your friend has it) to see if they’re currently online.

To make the call, just follow the instructions provided by your telephony software. The process is relatively simple, and you’ll usually just be asked to access a server and then select from the names of users who are currently online.

Once you have your friend on the line, you’ll no longer need to ask how to make Internet phone calls, because you’re already doing it!